Latest news with #BRICSMeetingofMinistersof
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russian deputy foreign minister sees little chance now of reviving Iran nuclear deal
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. Mauro Pimentel/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview published on Tuesday that he saw little chance at the moment of reviving a 2015 deal to limit Iran's nuclear programme. Ryabkov made the comments to the Izvestia news outlet before U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel after more than a week of trading air strikes. Ryabkov was speaking after the United States launched its own strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, claiming to have "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities. "I do not see at the moment, conditions for restoring the (Iran deal)," Ryabkov told Izvestia, referring to the 2015 accord, known as the JCPOA. "But this does not mean abandoning diplomacy, quite the opposite. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to achieve to come to some decisions that would help stabilise the situation." Ryabkov said Russia "understood the logic and argumentation of our friends in Tehran, and of course this means an end to the strikes an end to further escalation by the other side. "This is the clear pre-condition for our Iranian colleagues to consider their political-diplomatic options." Russia has denounced Israel's strikes on Iranian targets and Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that "unjustified" U.S. attacks on Iran's nuclear sites were pushing the world towards great danger. Russia's U.N. ambassador described U.S. arguments that Iran was moving towards creating nuclear bombs as a resumption of U.S. "fairy tales" about the Middle East. The Iran nuclear deal was clinched in 2015 with the aim of limiting Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for relief from sanctions imposed on Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the pact in 2018 during his first term in office. The United States and Iran had been holding talks on the programme, but Iran cancelled the latest meeting after the first Israeli strikes. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russia warns US not to help Israel militarily against Iran
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. Mauro Pimentel/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Russia warns US not to help Israel militarily against Iran MOSCOW - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on June 18 that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Iran and Israel has raged for six days. In separate comments, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin was quoted as saying that the situation between Iran and Israel was now critical. He warned the US against direct military assistance to Israel or even considering such 'speculative options', according to Russia's Interfax news agency. 'This would be a step that would radically destabilise the entire situation,' it cited him as saying. Earlier, a source familiar with US internal discussions said President Donald Trump and his team were considering a number of options, including joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. On June 17, Mr Trump openly mused on social media about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but said 'We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' Israel launched air strikes on June 13 against Iran's nuclear sites, scientists and top military leaders in a surprise attack that Russia condemned as unprovoked and illegal. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in January signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, has called for a cessation of hostilities between the two sides. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russia urges Israeli restraint, says Iran has right to defend itself
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 28, 2025. Mauro Pimentel/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Russia urges Israeli restraint, says Iran has right to defend itself MOSCOW - Russia is appealing to Israel to show restraint in the crisis with Iran, and believes Tehran is exercising its right to self-defence, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Monday. Israel launched a wave of strikes last Friday against Iran's nuclear sites and military leadership, and Iran has responded by firing missiles at Israeli cities. "The potential dangerous consequences of strikes on nuclear infrastructure facilities are obvious to everyone. This is a cause for concern for the entire international community, but, in addition to this, we are, of course, watching how world markets react to what is happening," state news agency TASS quoted Ryabkov as telling reporters. It was up to Israel, first and foremost, to show "restraint and common sense", he said. Russia seeks to play an influential role in the Middle East, though it lost a major ally there last year with the toppling of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, to whom it had provided military support for almost a decade in the country's civil war. Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran in January. It also has longstanding ties with Israel, though these have been strained by the Ukraine and Gaza wars. The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a phone conversation on Monday that the Israel-Iran confrontation was fraught with risks for the entire region, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The Kremlin said Russia was still ready to mediate between Iran and Israel, and its offer remained on the table to remove highly enriched uranium from Iran and convert it into civilian reactor fuel as a possible way to defuse the crisis over Tehran's nuclear programme. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
